Some African tribes punished their people for murder, treason, or debt by selling them into slavery.

Americans practiced Yellow Slavery, buying Chinese girls for pennies and making them work in brothels on the West Coast. Donaldina Cameron, a tall woman with determination, broke into cribs rescuing these women to bring them back to her mission.

Donaldina Cameron

White slavery went on for 600 years under the North Africans, who raided coastal villages as far away as Ireland and Iceland to capture young white men and women to sell in African slave markets.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam didn’t call for the abolition of slavery. In fact, they practiced it because it was “business as usual.” In other words, slavery was part of world trade and the spoils of war.

The British and the French abolished slavery before the Americans. The Bible was used to abolish slavery as well as justify it. Sadly, more Americans died in the Civil War than in any other war….Cuba and Brazil abolished slavery in the 1880s.

Slavery still exists today under a different name. Now it’s called trafficking. Sex trafficking is the second largest global crime under drug trafficking. Both bring in billions of dollars.

Once again, Dr. Ben Carson was right: Planned Parenthood targets minorities to keep their population down. Why else are so many centers located in poor neighborhoods? Is this the real reason for abortion in America?

How does Margaret Sanger fit in?

Mrs. Sanger is the founder of Planned Parenthood. She was also a big supporter of Eugenics. (Read my post Eugenics in America). That meant Mrs. Sanger tried to keep out certain “undesirables” from the USA, as well as keep their population numbers down.

Who was targeted?

Eastern Europeans with large families

Mexicans with large families

Blacks

Poor whites

drunks

sick people

What did Eugenicists do?

They supported immigrant quotas

They sterilized people in the USA

They supported gassing people to death

Does this sound familiar?

Didn’t a certain German leader also gas his own people? Along with Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, political dissidents, the mentally ill, and sick children. Why, the list goes on and on.

Why did he do this?

The Eugenicists from America visited Germany in the 1920s to spread their tripe. This world leader, who made the cover of TIME magazine, thought they had great ideas, so he put them into practice. Later, one of his “doctors” also experimented on people for “medical” research.

Does this sound familiar?

Aborted babies are being used in the USA for experimentation. They say it’s for “medical” research like heart disease. Well, the best cure for heart disease is prevention. That means a proper diet and exercise.

Is anyone trying to prevent this?

They were silent in Nazi Germany.

Where is the outcry in America?

In my book The Preacher’s Daughters, one of my main characters is gay. Dovile Gibson is best friends with Kathleen Sanderson, the heroine of my novel. Not long ago, homosexuals were beat up or imprisoned for being gay. In Illinois during the 1880s, homosexual acts were called “sodomy” or “crimes against nature.” If convicted, you would be incarcerated for one to three years respectively. However, homosexuality was not only practiced by homosexuals throughout history, but by heterosexuals as well. (Read my post on “Romantic Friendships.”)

This brings me to Ancient Greece and Crete, where homosexuality was practiced among well-to-do heterosexual men, especially if you wanted to get ahead in society. It was common for a man “of the world” to mentor an adolescent boy. Homosexual attachments often occurred at Greek symposiums or “drinking parties.” These relationships were usually short-term affairs; to be continued long-term was frowned upon.

In Ancient Crete, an adolescent boy was taken from his home to be raised and educated by a man of the world. In turn, the boy would be generous with his “favors.” Later the boy would be returned home to his family. The Minoan culture wasn’t Greek. They had their roots in modern-day Turkey, but the Greeks had invaded Crete and obviously brought their culture with them, but some sources state that King Minos had already introduced pederasty as a means of population control. Is this the reason St. Paul said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons?” (NIV). We know Paul had encountered a pagan world he wasn’t welcomed in, and he suffered greatly for it.

Finally, the Roman emperor Hadrian had a wife and a youthful Greek “lover” named Antonius.

Now the West has same-sex marriage. This is something I never encountered in my historical research, but history is dynamic. Nothing ever stays the same.

My post “Incest and Polygamy in Ancient to Modern Times” gets a lot of hits. People are always fascinated by subjects we don’t like to talk about.

Julianna and Nils

When I researched Julianna’s Secret many years ago, I found some rather disturbing statistics. I will present them to you.

One out of four women are sexually abused before the age of 18. Recently President Bill Clinton said this is a serious problem.

Freud didn’t believe that so many fathers abused their daughters. Why? Because the reports were too numerous! Politicians and scientists put pressure on Freud to downplay his findings because it was embarrassing. Freud eventually said women were “dreaming.”

Freud had incestuous thoughts about his own daughter…. Some people say this is perfectly “normal.”

In 1978, David Finkelhor surveyed 2,000 college women and concluded that one million women have incestuous relationships with their fathers. Sixteen thousand cases occur each year. These were conservative estimates.

Men’s porn magazines aggressively argue that incest is “harmless.”…Well, it isn’t, Incest makes women feel dirty, angry and untrusting. It produces low self-esteem. A daughter wants to be loved and protected by her father, not treated like a slut.

Fathers are incredibly jealous and possessive.

Bottom line: Incest is a form of control by a father to keep a daughter to himself, away from friends and potential “rivals”. It’s more about power than sex.

People in the West frown upon incest and polygamy, but this was common and acceptable behavior in ancient times. In fact, most polygamous cultures also practiced incest.

Abraham in the Bible, known as the Father of Faith, married his sister. This is disgusting to us, but in his day, it was considered normal. John the Baptist was beheaded for condemning Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, something Henry VIII would use to get out of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. In ancient times, it was normal for brothers and sisters to marry, aunt and nephews to marry, and uncles and nieces to marry. The Pharaohs married their sisters because only “gods” could marry “goddesses.” Reuben was chastised by Jacob for sleeping with one of his wives, but affairs in large polygamous families are common, as testified to by modern-day fundamentalist Mormons.

The Jews shocked the world with their laws against incest and polygamy. When Moses preached against this, he must have been mocked because he came from an incestuous union: an aunt had married her nephew.

Later, Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, brought polygamy back into fashion. He not only married single women, but he wed married women to “seal” them for eternity. After Smith was murdered, the Mormon Church split between the polygamists and the non-polygamists, but fundamentalists Mormons still practice polygamy.

Navoo, Illinois, a Mormon settlement

Now gay marriage is making its way to the United States Supreme Court. As a result, I believe polygamists will also want their “rights” because marriage is being redefined in Western culture. I also believe child predators will want their “rights” too.

You don’t believe me?

When my friend took an international law class, a European woman in her class stated, “What’s wrong with a relationship between a child and an adult as long as it’s consensual?”

This sick logic seemed perfectly normal to her. To show you how far Western beliefs are being challenged, a talk radio show reported that British scientists have concluded that it’s “normal for a man to desire his daughter or to desire a young girl.” To this, a convicted child predator sighed with relief, believing himself to be “normal.”

Do you see where this is heading? Are we trying to justify sick behavior?

Finally, some Muslim men have up to four wives. Years ago a Greek construction worker told me his country was going to pot because “Muslim men have so many children, their children are destroying the neighborhood.” (Those were his words, not mine.) He said the American Media doesn’t report this because it’s politically incorrect.

I had the privilege to work at Illinois and Michigan State Park for two summers when I was in college. As a park maintenance worker, I cut grass, made signs, and painted bridges in the middle of nowhere. My friend and I also painted the locktender’s house from the 1840s. Besides hard work (which we loved), we saw love affairs in the park, as well as people in various stages of undress in the campground. Trust me: when you think nobody’s looking, they are.

Lockport warehouse 1850

The Illinois and Michigan Canal transported goods and passengers down from Chicago to the Illinois River. The Illinois River connects with the Mississippi. Irish immigrants built the canal. You can find their cemeteries, churches, mule barns, and saloons along the canal. In Lockport, Illinois where I went to high school, there are old limestone warehouses: one is now an Illinois State museum that features art exhibits (1850); the other is a marvelous restaurant (1838).

Train traffic put the canal out of business. The iron horse was faster than mules pulling barges. Today, people love to fish in the canal, and the towpath is a biking and hiking trail. You can still see locktenders’ houses and locks along the way. I mention the canal in my novelFor Such A Time As This. My main character Jill McKendrick leaves her father’s locktender’s house to find a better life in the West.

In Part Three of my book Blood, Innocence and Glory, Caroline Delancy lives on Prairie Avenue in Chicago. That was the most prestigious place to live until Potter Palmer bought land north of the river and developed it. Eventually the smell of the stockyards forced the Pullmans and the Fields out of Prairie Avenue, but today it’s making a comeback.

Some old mansions still remain. There’s even Hillary Rodham Park for Hillary fans. Lake Michigan is nearby. My young characters Danette Delancy and Davidson Ames have a romantic encounter in the lake and find skeletons along the beach. Today you can tour the Glessner House and the site of the Fort Dearborn massacre.

What interesting story can I tell you, not written in history books?

Interior Marshall Field’s, Chicago

I attended a lecture by a man, who was fascinated by Prairie Avenue. As a boy, he sent letters to the old mansions to see if anyone lived there. Could he possibly have a tour?

Well, lo and behold, the boy got an answer. A Chicago millionaire owned four mansions and decided to let him tour his homes. The only caveat: the boy wasn’t allowed to take photographs. So what did he do?

He built cardboard cutouts of the mansions and recreated their interiors. There were amazing, to say the least. Yes; some mansions are gone today, but thank God for those models. We marveled at the woodwork, the stained-glass, and the opulence of these homes. He said a dresser drawer in one mansion still had starched shirts inside it.

When the boy grew older, he wrote the millionaire again. Unfortunately, the man had passed away….He died in an elevator accident in one of his mansions. The cable snapped, and he crashed to the ground.

As history buffs, we’re grateful to the millionaire who let the boy tour his homes. We also marvel at his firsthand accounts of years gone by.

There’s a distinction between the Greek games and the Roman games. The Greek games are still with us.They’re called the Olympics. The Romans poked fun at the Greek games. Athletics was considered exhibitionism. Poetry was also recited, and mocked by the Romans. The Roman games featured gladiator fights and sea battles. Yes, the Coliseum was flooded for mock ship battles.

Not all gladiator fights resulted in death. Most did not. If a gladiator survived for 3 years, he was freed. Of course, gladiators were popular with the ladies. Romans loved blood and gore. A riot broke out in the amphitheater in Pompeii. After numerous people were killed, the Roman Senate shut down the games for 10 years.

Today, America has WWE, one of the top-rated shows in our country. We know the violence is phony, but the crowd loves it. The wrestlers are modern-day gladiators: giant muscles, great physiques. The women wrestlers tear out each other’s hair and body slam each other. In my day, we had the Roller Derby. They were pretty tough broads. The Amazon-looking women always picked on the gorgeous women. We knew it was phony and loved it.

We also have violent movies. Cars blow up. People blow up. There is blood and gore. I recently watched a movie about Lizzie Borden. The movie had so much violence, it distracted me from the storyline. Anything that doesn’t add to the story or contribute to character must be cut. Either the director didn’t know what he was doing, or he had a penchant for violence. I covered my face during certain scenes. I rated the movie one star.

Then there is Ferguson, Missouri. This is the second George Zimmerman case. With George, the Media tried to make it a white-against-black crime, but the Media got it wrong. Old George was Hispanic. The Media didn’t care. They wanted ratings. Big ratings make them a lot of money to run their shows. The bigger the ratings, the more money they charge for air time. Years ago, a sixty-second commercial on All My Children cost $25,000. If the Media didn’t follow so-called “civil rights” leaders, there would be no story. After all, thousands of murders take place each day, but the Media focuses on certain stories to play them up for ratings. After Ferguson, there will be a second Ferguson, and a third Ferguson. Mark my words.

Throughout history, violence gets big ratings. If the Media can incite more violence by the way they cover stories, they will. Watch for inflammatory words like “unarmed teenager, another Emmett Till.” On the other side, “He looked like a demon.” Words have power: the power of life and death. You can tell a man by his words. Do political leaders and religious leaders use words that promote peace and unity? Or do they incite death and destruction?

Years ago, a TWA flight was hijacked by terrorists. A passenger was killed before other passengers. A terrorist wanted to kill another passenger, but a brave flight attendant interceded for him and saved his life with “calming words.” In so doing, she put her own life at risk, but she didn’t care. She was a hero. Thank God for people like her.

Where are the American leaders that promote peace and unity? After all, we’re not living in Roman times. Or are we?

How can a Yankee write about Southerners? That’s a good question for my Civil War bookBlood, Innocence and Glory. Author John Jakes got the same question after he wrote his excellent Civil War trilogy.

Well, I’ve had Southern friends, and they were certainly interesting. My friend Victoria was from Florida. Her father owned a citrus plantation. Her mother was a blueblood and very proud of it. Victoria even had her own mammy. My girlfriend Sharon and her brother Doug were from Louisiana. Doug was my best friend in high school. He taught me how to fish. I love fishing! But I refused to go hunting. Of course, I love New Orleans: the food, the people, the sites. No wonder Tennessee Williams made his home there.

And that brings me to my friend Sandy. Sandy lived in a suburb of Nashville. When I was researching Blood, Innocence and Glory, I put a headline on a blog that read, “ATTENTION: SOUTHERN WOMEN.” Sandy wrote back and we corresponded back and forth about the Civil War. Sandy loved all the southern generals. She knew their horses’ names and odd facts about them. She taught me about Southern culture and how Southerners think. She told me how Southerners regard Yankees; most of it was unflattering. Then Sandy visited Chicago and my family showed her around. Sandy was impressed that Chicagoans were so friendly. Well, Chicagoans are friendly. When I was a receptionist in graduate school, all our clients from New York couldn’t get over how friendly Chicagoans are. Yes, Chicago’s a great city, and our people make her great.

Anyway, back to Sandy….She helped me craft the characters of Delia Delancy and Sarah Collins, Southern women who hate Yankees and are loyal to the Confederacy. Then Delia falls in love with a Yankee. I had so much fun writing about that. I laughed and laughed when I edited her scenes. Sarah Collins was my femme fatale.

So many thanks to Victoria, Doug, Sharon, and Sandy for helping me craft my Southern characters.

I had fun writing this novel; it took years of research, and I hope you enjoy it. Don’t forget to enter the Goodreads Giveaway. It ends December 15.

I was a Christian for 26 years before I understood the concept of grace. Most preachers seem to dance around the subject, or they throw the word “grace” out there, but they don’t really explain it.

In 2010, I sat in my living room reading my Civil War manuscript. To start, my manuscript was a mess, which really discouraged me. I said to God, Why would you give me this book if it’s a mess? For years my mind saw a doctor and a nurse working together over an operating table. I knew they were romantically involved, even sexually, but I didn’t know the what, when, or how. I knew why the manuscript had been rejected: it was horrible! Then God spoke three little words to me: “I’ll help you.”

In January 2011, God taught me about grace. By Easter, my Civil War manuscript had changed dramatically. It required the most restructuring of all my books, including major rewrites.

By 2013, Blood, Innocence And Glory was completed, but I couldn’t find an agent. (I’ve already had 2 agents.) So I decided to publish the book myself. My Civil War book is a far cry from where it was, and I owe it all to God’s grace. Without God’s help, it would still be a mess.

So what is grace? First, let me tell you what grace is not. Grace is not…

Prayer and fasting

Quoting the Word a hundred times about prosperity, faith, or whatever else you might need

Making big donations every time a preacher asks (or begs) for money

Attending church whenever the doors open

Grace is simply trusting God to do what you can’t do. Grace is a manifestation of God’s great love for us. It’s knowing God wants us to succeed and live a good life; that we can trust God with all our needs. So I ceased from my own “good works,” and I learned to trust God. I mean, really, really trust Him. As I did, all my manuscripts changed dramatically, and I began to rest. And I owe this all to God!

If you have any grace testimonies, tell me what God has taught you. Post your answers in the comment area to the left. The person with the most touching testimony will receive one free copy of my book Blood, Innocence and Glory, a work of grace. The book sells for $15.26 on amazon, and I couldn’t have finished it without God’s grace.

This contest ends on December 1, 2014, so start posting and let’s have fun.